I'd like to know what you think.
Elizabeth Johnson pulled the mail from the box in the apartment building’s lobby and flipped through it. Her face fell as she saw one envelope. It was from their local Gathering House. She already knew it was bad news. If she and Ben were going to be readmitted the Servants would have called and invited them to meet personally. She walked back down the hallway to her apartment.
She set the rest of the mail aside and ripped open the envelope, sitting on her living room sofa to read it.
“Dear Mr. and Mrs. Johnson,” it began.
Johnson sniffed. Couldn’t they even address them as “Disciple?”
“After consultation with New Jerusalem we are unable to readmit you as Disciples at this time.
This matter has been considered directly by the Apostles themselves, and we must abide by their decision. Although, as you pointed out in your letter asking for readmission, the matter for which you were Cast-out is no longer a subject of concern to the Servants, your actions at the time displayed a lack of loyalty to The Word. Accordingly we must see a proper level of repentance for your sin, before you can be readmitted.
We also believe we should state, that although the matter in question is no longer subject to review by the Servant Body, The Lord Almighty still expects that His Disciples will conduct themselves with dignity. ‘Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for The Lord Almighty will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral’.- Heb. 13:4
Although it had no bearing on the decision, we do note that your attendance at Gathering could improve. We hope that you will place your reliance on The Lord Almighty and His Foundation and be readmitted in the future.
Sincerely,
Spokane Valley Gathering
Word of God Foundation”
Johnson set the letter on her coffee table and slumped over, putting her head in her hands. How had it come to this. She’d tried to be a good Disciple and a good wife. Both of them had given their lives to The Word. They’d spent their time doing odd jobs, cleaning and the like, so that they could spent more time in disciple-making.
When the article on marital relations had been published in “The Firm Foundation” it had been very confusing to both of them. They were married, it didn’t seem right that Servants should be able to pry into their bedroom. They had sought help from the Servants to clarify the matter, and ended up Cast-out.
When a recent edition of the “Foundation” had stated that relations between husband and wife were no longer a review matter she had thought they would be readmitted immediately. Instead they had been subjected to a number of meetings with the Servants, culminating with a message that New Jerusalem would need to look into the issue. Now this.
Likely she and Ben would spend a year or more sitting, ignored, in the back row at the Gathering House. Nobody would speak to them, including family.
It was not a big apartment. From where she sat she could see her kitchen table, and the expensive GUND teddy bear she had purchased for the three year old granddaughter she had never seen, even though she lived only a mile away. She had hoped that it would be the gift that she took with her at their first meeting, after she’d been readmitted. She made a decision, took a deep breath and walked to the phone.
She punched in her daughter’s number and listened as it rang.
“Hello.”
“Ruth, its Mom.”
“Yes,” a flat reply devoid of emotion.
“I have something for Mary, I’d like to bring it over.”
“Have you been readmitted?”
“Well, no, but I think it’s going to be soon.”
“We’re loyal to The Word, please don’t call me until you are readmitted.”
Johnson started to reply, then stopped when she realized that the phone had gone dead.
“Well, that’s it. We have to get back to Lord Almighty’s Foundation. It will be work, but we can do it.”
That night she and Ben had a long conversation about what they needed to do.
copyright by Jeffrey A. Thomas, Seattle, WA. 2003